Marathon pace

3:45 marathon pace

To run a marathon in 3:45 you need to average 5:20 per km, or 8:35 per mile, over 42.195 km. That is 11.3 km/h, and 1:52:30 at halfway.

Pace per km
5:20
Pace per mile
8:35
Speed
11.3 km/h
Halfway
1:52:30

Splits for a 3:45 marathon

The race clock at each marker at even pace, the steadiest way to run it.

KilometresRace clock
5 km26:40
10 km53:19
15 km1:19:59
20 km1:46:39
Half1:52:30
25 km2:13:19
30 km2:39:58
35 km3:06:38
40 km3:33:18
Finish3:45:00
MilesRace clock
1 mi8:35
5 mi42:54
10 mi1:25:49
13.1 mi1:52:30
15 mi2:08:43
20 mi2:51:38
25 mi3:34:32
26.2 mi3:45:00

Going out a little slower protects the second half. With a 1% negative split, the first half is 5:23 per km and the second 5:17 per km, for the same finish time.

Print a pace band for 3:45:00, with the race clock at every kilometre or mile.

What a 3:45 marathon takes

Riegel’s formula, the one Run 42 uses for every pace in your plan, puts these times on the same level:

  • 5K · 23:28
  • 10K · 48:55
  • Half marathon · 1:47:55

A recent 10K faster than 48:55 says the speed is there; the long runs of a plan build the rest. Slower than that, the race time predictor gives a goal to start from.

In VMA terms, a 3:45 marathon needs 13.8 to 15 km/h: the lower figure for a runner with strong endurance, the higher one for most amateurs. See VMA for the marathon.

Training paces for a 3:45 marathon

These are the paces Run 42 puts in a plan for this goal.

Marathon pace 5:20 /km 8:35 /mile Your goal, held for the whole race.
Easy 6:08–6:46 /km Most of your running, long runs included.
Threshold 4:55–5:04 /km The pace you could race for about an hour.
VMA 4:32–4:38 /km About your 3 km race pace, for short repeats.

Most of the week is easy running; threshold and VMA come in one or two sessions a week. See training pace zones for what each one does.

How a 3:45 marathon ranks

A 3:45 finish is faster than 83% of finishers: top 24% among men and top 9% among women, from 35 million race results analysed by RunRepeat. See Average marathon time.

Train for 3:45

Run 42 builds a 12 to 24-week plan for this goal to your own race day, with every session at these paces. For a sample, see the Sub-3:30 marathon plan.

Other goal times

Every goal from 2h30 to 6h00 in the marathon pace chart

Frequently asked

What pace is a 3:45 marathon?

5:20 per km, or 8:35 per mile, held for the whole 42.195 km: 11.3 km/h.

What is the halfway split for a 3:45 marathon?

1:52:30 at even pace. With a 1% negative split, you pass halfway in 1:53:38.

What 10K time do I need for a 3:45 marathon?

About 48:55, by Riegel’s formula. A 5K of about 23:28 or a half marathon of about 1:47:55 point to the same marathon.

Is a 3:45 marathon good?

It is faster than 83% of finishers: top 24% among men and top 9% among women.

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